SilkWings
SilkWings were the first confirmed dragon tribe out of the four that live or lived on Pantala. The other three tribes are HiveWings, LeafWings, and BeetleWings. The last SilkWing queen was Queen Monarch, and the tribe is currently ruled by Queen Wasp of the HiveWings. It is possible they are related to RainWings, because they have scales in every color excluding black, and they are descended from BeetleWings, which were rumored to have been able to shoot venom from their fangs, which sounds a lot like RainWing abilities. Society SilkWings had been segregated by the HiveWings ever since Queen Wasp took over their tribe. Under Wasp's rule, SilkWings are second class citizens and have very few rights compared to HiveWings. Examples of a regular SilkWing's occupation would include: construction workers, like Swordtail, hive drones (servants) like Silverspot, web workers, like Burnet, and other low-ranked jobs, like stall owners or weavers. Description ] SilkWings have two pairs of wings, one pair smaller than the other, with membranes that have rounded edges. While Pyrrhian dragons have bat-like wings, SilkWings have insect-like wings, which can be compared to butterfly wings in design and shape, as well as appearing to be translucent. Their wings also have spots on their inner membranes. The bigger pair of wings appears to have four or five digits that the membrane is stretched between. The smaller pair of wings attach in front of the larger pair, in the arm-pit area, and have two or three digits. According to Tui on the Wings of Fire Forums, SilkWings' wings are just as strong as any dragon's wingshttp://wingsoffire.scholastic.com/forums/topics/328664. SilkWings appear to have plated scales and have small spines running down their back, to the tip of their tail. Their scales appear to be somewhat iridescent, similar to NightWing scales. They have long and slim bodies, similar to RainWings. Their horns are curved, almost RainWing-like in shape, but much thinner. There is also a set of antennae on the brow, just above the eyes. The ridge above their eyes runs over their horns, giving SilkWings a plated appearance. A theory is that they are very closely related to the RainWings, due to their very close features to them. SilkWings can be any color except black, such as olive green, aquamarine, lavender, indigo, amber, orange, dark purple, grey, and red. Most SilkWings seem to have iridescent scales. The wing membranes appear to be different colors too, as well as certain segments between the digits being a different color than the rest of the wing. Tui has said that the SilkWings could be named after different species of butterflies, and this has since been confirmed. Abilities SilkWings that have undergone metamorphosis, which occurs at the age of six years, can fly and produce silk from their wrists. They can also use their antennae to sense vibrations in the air and, like the HiveWings, can predict the weather. A select few SilkWings can create a special type of silk known as "flamesilk." These SilkWings are referred to as "flamesilks", and can shoot various types of fiery silk from their wrists. One type emits a bright light and can burn through objects, which is used in the Hives to create glass and as a light source. Other types, as mentioned by Admiral, include sticky silk as well as solid silk, which is used for building the webs that they sleep on. It is possible that they may also have NightWing powers buried deep down inside them, due to their distant relatives, the NightWings. Blue mentioned in the lost continent, that he always felt a constant tugging on his imagination to understand dragons perspectives on different things. He also mentioned that HiveWings and SilkWings, both relatives of Clearsight, had a precise internal clock. They could tell when the rainy season would come and what time of day it is, similar to NightWing predictions. It is unknown whether LeafWings have these abilities or not, however Sundew never mentioned having these abilities, so it is possible that just the HiveWings and SilkWings may have some faint NightWing powers. Flamesilks are also unable to be burned by flamesilk, although it is not known if they are immune to all fire or just flamesilk. Furthermore, they do not gain this immunity until after metamorphosis. In The Hive Queen, Blue gave Cricket some special flamesilk for warmth that did not burn her scales. Luna, Admiral, Blue, and nine other SilkWings have this ability. Their names are: Danaid, Fritillary, Xenica, Pierid, Festoon, Clubtail, Whitespeck, and Heliconian. Names SilkWings are usually named after different species of butterfly and moth, although a few have been named after species of dragonfly. They have also been known to be named after colors, like Blue and Orange. Since it was confirmed SilkWings were also based off of beetles and spiders, it is possible that some future SilkWing characters could be named after those species as well. Known SilkWings *Admiral *Argus *Blue *Burnet *Cinnabar *Clubtail *Danaid *Festoon (deceased) *Fritillary *Grayling *Grayling's Brother *Grayling's Father (deceased) *Heliconian *Io *Luna *Ex-Queen Monarch *Morpho *Pierid *Silverspot *Swordtail *Tau *Tau's Stepbrother *Temora *Tussock *Tussock's Uncle *Whitespeck *Xenica Trivia * In A Guide to the Dragons of Pantala, SilkWings and LeafWings are depicted as having their wings stretched out back from their shoulders. This would be a very uncomfortable position to maintain when moving around on the ground, so it's plausible that these two tribes either fold their wings across their backs or hang them to the side like Pyrrhian Dragons do. The primary wings of a SilkWing are depicted as being surprisingly similar in basic structure to a bat's wing. However, there are still some major differences between the two, such as the fact that a SilkWing's wing digits are fused in a curved crescent, and the "index" and "middle" digits are fused together to create a thicker crescent. Despite these differences, a SilkWing is probably perfectly capable of folding their wings in a similar manner to the Pyrrhian dragons because they have a jointed appendage similar in structure. However, the secondary wings appear to be fused in a fixed shape and are unable to be maneuvered in a similar way to their primaries. They likely fold their primary wings over their secondary wings when on the ground. * Burn was said to have half of a purple and gray wing in her morbid collection, which is from one of the Pantala tribes. This was definitely a SilkWing's wing, because neither HiveWings nor LeafWings have purple or gray wings. She also had a white, wingless dragon as well, which was claimed to be a SandWing-IceWing hybrid, although there was a chance it could be a SilkWing dragonet. * Modern SilkWings seem to live in what they call a "cell," which mirrors how actual bees live in hives. This is most likely because the SilkWings live under the HiveWings' rule. * SilkWings do not have a voice in the Hives' government system, which shows how passive and agreeable most of them are against the HiveWings' rule. * SilkWings are the second tribe known to be vegetarian, with the first being the RainWings. Part of their diet is yams, okra, and honey dropsRevealed in The Lost Continent, page 8 (as a treat). * SilkWings and HiveWings can predict upcoming weather through a "precise internal clock." * SilkWings are the only dragons native to Pantala that can produce "fire" (In the form of flamesilk). * On a Google form, Tui mentioned a SilkWing name, Metalmark, which she may possibly use in a future book. * SilkWings are the descendants of BeetleWings, along with HiveWings. Gallery Click here to see the gallery. References fr:Ailes de Soie ru:Шёлковые драконы Category:Tribes of Pantala Category:Tribes of Dragons